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Yadi adds defensive award to trophy collection

Yadi adds defensive award to trophy collection

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina took home another defensive honor on Thursday, as he was named the Cardinals' best defensive player by Wilson Sporting Goods.

Wilson began handing out Defensive Player of the Year Awards for the first time in 2012, and Molina has been the Cardinals' recipient both years. In addition to picking team-specific honorees, Wilson selected the top defensive player in the National League (Gerardo Parra ) and American League (Dustin Pedroia ), as well as each league's best defensive teams (D-backs, Orioles/Royals tie).

The award is the second defensive honor Molina has collected in a hardware-heavy offseason so far. Last week, he was awarded his sixth straight Gold Glove Award and a sixth Fielding Bible Award. On Friday, Rawlings will reveal its pair of Platinum Gold Glove Award winners, an honor that Molina has taken home each of the last two seasons. He is a favorite to win it again.

Molina was also recently revealed as a GIBBY finalist for baseball's top defensive player in 2013. The GIBBY trophy for Defensive Player of the Year will be awarded as part of the 2013 Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards, which are based on voting by media, front-office personnel, MLB alumni and the Society for American Baseball Research, as well as fan balloting on MLB.com. That voting is ongoing on MLB.com through Sunday, Dec. 1, with winners set to be announced during the Winter Meetings in December.

On the offensive side, Molina was named a Silver Slugger Award winner on Wednesday. He is also assured of a top-three finish for the NL MVP Award, which will be handed out next Thursday.